Homemade chocolate bark is one of my go-to treats.

It’s so simple to make, and only requires a few ingredients that I, along with many of us, always have on hand. Plus, its vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free, making it a relatively guilt-free treat to indulge in, especially during a time of year when everything else is loaded with, well, everything else.

While the basis of this recipe is one I use all the time, I decided to make a few additions to up the ante for the holidays, as well as holiday gifting. Like the dried flowers, for instance. I mean, how much more festive does this chocolate bark look with them? And the CBD oil. That was a no-brainer for a few reasons, one being that we all need all the stress-relieving help we can get this season. Oh, and the second being that it feels like this bark is more of a wellness supplement, instead of a treat, so you can easily justify eating more of it. Logic, right?!

All joking aside, this bark really is one of my favorite treats, no matter the season, but I wanted to share it now, in case you wanted to share it, too. It makes a great hostess gift as well as a welcomed DIY gift for any wellness warrior and/or healthy foodie in your life. Just be sure they (and you) keep it refrigerated for optimal flavor!

FOR ANOTHER CHOCOLATE CBD TREAT, CHECK OUT MY MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup coconut oil

• 1 cup cocoa powder

• 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup or coconut sugar (amount used depends on sweetness preference)

• 2 droppers of CBD oil

• Dried flowers

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Once melted, add in the cocoa powder and maple syrup and whisk until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the CBD oil.

3. Immediately spread the chocolate mixture out onto the lined baked sheet, using either your hands or the back of a spoon to mold it and smooth it out until it’s about 1/4” thick. Sprinkle with desired dried flower toppings, then pop the tray into the freezer for at least 30 minutes up to 6 hours. Remove from the freezer and break into pieces. You can either enjoy it immediately, wrap it in parchment paper to gift it, or keep it stored in a container in the refrigerator to enjoy later.

NOTES

If dried flowers aren’t your thing, try doing other toppings like nuts, dried fruit, candied citrus peel, candied ginger or sea salt flakes, or try mixing a few of those toppings in with the dried flowers for things like pistachio, orange peel and rose petal bark, or lavender and pistachio bark. The options are endless.